Biggest Breakout Candidate in Colorado Buffaloes' Safety Room

As the Colorado Buffaloes head into 2026, there is one safety addition from the transfer portal who could be a candidate for a breakout season.

Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks along the sidelines late in the fourth quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Heading into the 2026 season, the Colorado Buffaloes have a tremendous opportunity to be a significantly better team, specifically a much-improved defense in year four under coach Deion Sanders.

In the back end, Colorado has made several changes, but there is one particular safety who could have a breakout season and have his best collegiate season yet.

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Jah Jah Boyd (16) arrives prior to the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Oregon Ducks at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Transfer Safety Jah Jah Boyd

After transferring from the Indiana Hoosiers, safety Jah Jah Boyd looks to be a player for the Buffaloes who could become a critical piece in 2026. 

In his time with Indiana, Boyd did not receive a lot of reps, but he did show some flashes of being able to make plays when he had the opportunity to. In his 2025 campaign with the Hoosiers, Boyd recorded seven tackles and one forced fumble.

With his frame of 5-11 and 190 pounds, Boyd can be a solid safety, but also has the versatility to potentially play in the slot at nickel corner. That versatility that Boyd brings could be very valuable for Colorado when injuries start to stack up in the season, and defensive coordinator Chris Marve has to get creative with the defensive personnel he has on the field.

One of Boyd‘s biggest skills is his ability to fly all over the field and cover a significant amount of space, and he has the coverage skills to be reliable at nickel corner or at either safety position. With his versatility, Boyd could definitely find himself having a significant role next season, mainly based on his performance in spring practice and the key experience that he has.

Nov 29, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders looks on during the first quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Key Experience and Spring Game Performance

Boyd has spent the last two seasons with Indiana, but unfortunately, he missed all of 2024 due to injury. Then Boyd was able to get his first collegiate reps in 2025, where he showcased what he could as a contributor in the secondary.

For Boyd, one of the biggest things was being able to learn from a coach like Curt Cignetti, who helped to establish a strong culture at Indiana, in addition to several great players on the Hoosiers roster like D’Angelo Ponds and Fernando Mendoza, who provided a great example of how to prepare and consistently perform at a high level.

With limited game experience, Boyd comes to Colorado with the understanding of what it takes to be successful at the Division I level after being on a national championship team last season. While getting game experience is great, learning from other players who have found success at the collegiate level is arguably just as good.

With that experience, Boyd was able to have a solid spring and showcase his talent on a daily basis. Ultimately, Boyd made his biggest statement in the spring game, where he recorded four tackles and one tackle for loss, which showcased his willingness to play through physicality and help provide support in the run game.

As Boyd heads into next season, there is definitely heavy competition in the safety room to earn reps in the rotation or as a starter, but with his range and physicality, Boyd has the opportunity to work himself right into the rotation.

Tennessee defensive back Boo Carter (23) tries to pump up the crowd during a college football game between Tennessee and UAB at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 20, 2025. | Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Safety Rotation

Like many other positions on the roster, the Buffaloes added a significant amount of talent to the safety unit from the transfer portal. In addition to Boyd, Colorado added Randon Fontenette, Naeten Mitchell, Boo Carter, and Jayden Hardy, also welcoming back Ben Finneseth from the 2025 roster.

As of now, it seems quite likely that Fontenette and Mitchell are the early favorites to start at safety next season, but with his performance in the spring, Boyd should be in a great position to be one of the more important rotational pieces in the safety room. 

Added to being a rotational piece in the safety room, Boyd could also become a solid piece as a nickel corner, with Carter seeming to be the early projection to start at that position.

Finding depth in the secondary is very difficult to do, but it seems that Colorado has done a great job of that by adding players like Boyd, who can fulfill a multitude of roles. While Boyd may want to start, having the opportunity to be a critical piece of the rotation at safety and nickel corner could give him the opportunity he needs to showcase what he can do and earn a starting role down the road. 

As Boyd hands in his 2026 campaign, his range and physicality should help him to take advantage of any reps he gets and become a player who could contribute in run support and coverage for the Buffaloes in a variety of positions heading into next season, for what they hope to be a competitive season in the Big 12.

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